The new 2013 Merlin annual pass flask

[Dean]

Just thought of another change that the new term of where re-fills are available could cause another annoyance for pass holders, is if the Merlin own brand restaurants are no longer re-fill stations.

Will need to re-fill before hand, if so...

 

[Sam]

Aren't they supposed to check that you've got an AP now when you refill? The staff never bother, and I hope when this stupid new throughput-holding-up 'check the dot on the card' thing comes in, they will continue to ignore it when it's busy.

 

[Jordan]

I think that both the flasks and MAPs themselves are significantly under-priced for the consumption you can get from them, particularly for those here who visit very frequently.

 

[TheMan]

Jordan they are priced at a point where people can just about afford them.

Much more expensive than that, and they would be pointless.

When you consider taking a family now, it is one major investment, and can cost as much as taking an entire trip to France!!

Seem to be an influx of Merlin goggles in here today ;D - where do I pay over the odds for them?

The passes, and flasks (as I mentioned up there), do represent decent enough value I don't deny that - but the perks you get, the prices you pay (going up WAY above inflation, by some margin), the stealth prices that are the last thing they like to remind you of, everywhere, constantly, before you exit, show how they feel about you as visitors nowadays.

Before, it was about how much you enjoyed the day, when more of the Tower's pure ethos was in place, the more it morphs into Merlin, the less your day matters.

Tick Tock... That's the sound of your value and perks ticking down ;D

 

[Rob]

Jordan they are priced at a point where people can just about afford them.

Much more expensive than that, and they would be pointless.

They are £16. I didn't have capsule for the whole of 2012 but for the part of the season I did I used it so many times, if I hadn't had one the drinks I bought would have cost way more than £16 in total. And this was just using it when having meals etc, not using it for the sake of using it. Therefore they wouldn't be pointless if the price was to rise slightly. And if the prices rises to make it become pointless for you (ie you won't be getting that many drinks) then the answer is quite simple, don't get one and buy drinks individually.

The passes, and flasks (as I mentioned up there), do represent decent enough value I don't deny that - but the perks you get, the prices you pay (going up WAY above inflation, by some margin), the stealth prices that are the last thing they like to remind you of, everywhere, constantly, before you exit, show how they feel about you as visitors nowadays.

What is wrong with the perks you get? They are very good and more than most annual passes. I had an EP AP last year and the perks were next to nothing. Complaining about MAP perks is just silly in my eyes, especially if you have a Premium Pass.

 

[Poisson]

I think that both the flasks and MAPs themselves are significantly under-priced for the consumption you can get from them, particularly for those here who visit very frequently.

Please don't write that as Merlin will see this as a green light to send prices soaring

 

[Thomas]

Today I brought my quencher and pass. Call me a sheep but I'm more than happy to pay £16 for as much fizzy pop as I can handle and £121 for an annual pass for some of the best places in Britain.

Yes it is a lot of money, £137 is a lot of money, but I can guarantee that I'll have at least £137s worth of money and fun. I do feel for those who have to pay twice, but life's a ballache and there's not really any other way of doing it.

Plus I'd rather give Merlin £137 and support a place I love than sit and grumble.

 

[Sam]

£16?! Didn't anyone else get it as an optional extra when they renewed their pass this year? I think I went through Clubcard, and got it as an extra for a fiver.

 

[Thomas]

I don't think they'd run it during the big January sale at a fiver?! Ah well sixteen quid isn't that bad, seeing as I paid £2.10 for a postmix coke the other day in a pub, a years worth for £16 isn't that bad.

Still freaking leaks mind.

 

[Dean]

Capsule is valid from collection date, until the expiration date of your Pass.

They have missed out one tiny issue...

How many passholders these days have less than 12 months on there pass at a given time, with all the offers and promos over the last few years, which added 12 months to the date of your pass regardless if you needed to re-new?

So for example, someone renewed in Nov 2012, and then took advantage of the 2013 January sale which is now on, they would end up with a pass that expires Nov 2014.

So you pay the £16 for the capsule when redeeming the sale voucher, and that then lasts until Nov 2014. (subject to the capsule continuing into 2014)

So the payment of £16 for your capsule, could last you for 2 seasons...

 

[Benzin]

The passes, and flasks (as I mentioned up there), do represent decent enough value I don't deny that - but the perks you get, the prices you pay (going up WAY above inflation, by some margin), the stealth prices that are the last thing they like to remind you of, everywhere, constantly, before you exit, show how they feel about you as visitors nowadays.

Jesus, something going up in price ABOVE the rate of inflation, say it isn't so!

Tick Tock... That's the sound of your value and perks ticking down ;D

Really? Must say as well the MAP is better value than many other park's own attempts at it... But as always with anything Merlin based they must be bashed because they add car park pricing (which is done worldwide and is incredibly cheaper over here, including exchange rates) and upsell everything (which I've mentioned before, like with any form of upselling on a street, a simple "no thanks" suffices)... There are some things they have done wrong (like any park operator) but there are also things they have done right, which tend to be ignored because it's Merlin... It's even worse when they get blamed for stuff DIC implemented before their time (like the original Towers car park charge, though obviously the increases are down to Towers/Merlin)...

Merlin are actually a lot more like every other theme park business in the world really, and it could be so, so much worse... Imagine Six Flags or Cedar Fair owning Towers? That would make even the biggest Merlin bashers miss Merlin...

Got to remember as well that Merlin do very little to affect the park's actual operations... That's down to the park's themselves... So actually, if there's anyone to blame for some of Towers' faults in recent years (see upselling as an example), it's Towers' management, rather than Merlin (in some cases, levels of investment are of course Merlin's main input to the parks, but many of the decisions are made by the park without pushing (There are of course some that are made with Merlin's input/purse shutting, but that's business in a recession))...

It's not really putting on Merlin goggles... It's more giving them due where it's deserved, rather than just jumping on the bashing bandwagon...

 

[Poisson]

add car park pricing (which is done worldwide and is incredibly cheaper over here, including exchange rates)

City centre car parking for an equivalent amount of time in the prime location can cost more than £6 and parking at big venues can cost more than that.

NEC in Birmingham is £10 a day or £20 for express parking for example.

Got to remember as well that Merlin do very little to affect the park's actual operations... That's down to the park's themselves... So actually, if there's anyone to blame for some of Towers' faults in recent years (see upselling as an example), it's Towers' management, rather than Merlin (in some cases, levels of investment are of course Merlin's main input to the parks, but many of the decisions are made by the park without pushing (There are of course some that are made with Merlin's input/purse shutting, but that's business in a recession))...

It's not really putting on Merlin goggles... It's more giving them due where it's deserved, rather than just jumping on the bashing bandwagon...

I have to agree but how much do Merlin decisions affect day to day running directly? I presume Merlin give them £X and then Alton Towers management decide how much is spent and where.

But that is heading off topic.....

I will be purchasing a quencher as I believe they are value for money (I can have 10 or so refills in a day sometimes as two of us use my quencher) and will hold off from buying one until April (Pass expiry and renewal date.)

 

[Benzin]

add car park pricing (which is done worldwide and is incredibly cheaper over here, including exchange rates)

City centre car parking for an equivalent amount of time in the prime location can cost more than £6 and parking at big venues can cost more than that.

NEC in Birmingham is £10 a day or £20 for express parking for example.

I meant regarding theme parks... €7 for both Parc Asterix and Plopsaland, and in the USA is it common to be a minimum of $10 (and often reaches $20, with free parking being the minority)...

 

[AstroDan]

Efteling parking €10
Europa Park €5


Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[TheMan]

Ok those people who are discussing the parking etc, which is fair enough it's all over the world, every park does it of course.

Oh, wait, no they don't.

The point I made, and stands true, is your perks are being eroded year after year, and you get less and less value, and my post was a warning to expect that to continue for as long as the public suck it up.

I also pointed out, I think a pass/drink flask still does represent reasonable value, 2/3 years ago it represented fantastic value, in 2/4 years time it will be OK value.

You lot seem to have forgotten all those posts each year, when a perk was removed. I might not have posted, but I read the majority of them.

The parking fury was the best/worst!

The difference? My opinions don't change. The VAT rubbish is still wrong, the excessive parking charges and slow removal of perks from your pass is wrong, the constant price rises, the increase of in your face on park marketing is still wrong. I kept quiet on here to not derail the topic but it's carried on minus my input.

It is not a one off, it is a trend, and it will get worse. The service will go down, the prices will go up, and your pass holder benefits will be eroded, because that is how a monopoly like Merlin work.

They obtain market saturation, then you pay more the bigger they get, because you cannot do anything about it by that point, as there is no longer any competition or reason not to.

Petrol stations now all charge ludicrous amounts because you have no choice and they have a monopoly on the fuel you put in your car, and whilst not an essential in this country, Merlin are using those same market forces to devour our theme park industry here.

Look at the ludicrous budget constraints last year. Do we really believe Alton Tower's was that bad, that they deserved to be operationally squeezed like that? Come on.

 

[Thomas]

One thing to bare in mind regarding value of the pass, would be as Merlin add new attractions or update them they become available to you the pass holder.

So for example this year there's a new Sea Life to explore and previously there's been Blackpool attractions.

Just something to bare in mind

 

[TheMan]

A very sensible point Thomas and I agree in principle, but I also think that works against us in the long run, as there are fewer and fewer attractions being run by different companies.

We'd be better off long term with a few smaller ones for competition. Anyway I really don't want to derail the thread here from the flasks any further, I'll be happy to join another discussion as to Merlin's monopoly if anyone wishes to create one. Mine would be too long ;D

 

[Benzin]

Efteling parking €10
Europa Park €5


Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

First everyone ignores the car park coaster, and now THIS? GODDAMN FAVOURITISM :

If Europa, one of the BEST parks in the world charges for car parking, why is there such hatred towards the UK parks implementing it? Oh, it's because people hate change, sure there are better ways of implementing the system (i.e. Mention it upon entry) but it's a common system amongst parks worldwide, with very, very few parks in America (Kennywood is the only park I can think of) and Europe (Can't remember fully, sure someone who's travelled via car regularly will assist here) actually DON'T charge for parking...

What perks have been lost this year? This is a perk that has been re-jigged, rather than lost (only lost out to those who have mid-season passes, but this was the only time in the year it could be done to prevent minimal issues with flasks in circulation)... As of yet, none of the old perks from last year have been lost so is there a real loss in my value for money?


As an aside, the gf emailed Merlin regarding the whole mid-season £16 a pop, and received a rather generic "This is what the new system" will be reply... They need to bring in a cut off date for expiring APs to get money off for a half season system really... July perhaps? Or August? It's a difficult decision really... Shall press them more soonish for that because yay for businesses and their generic complaint replies! That's where the loss of value is for half the year really... But it's a transition that had to happen to bring these terms in...

 

[TheMan]

I could write a very long list of how the parks are poorer, how the perks have been slowly eroded, how the value is fading, and how the service is dropping - but not in here, and to be fair I can't be bothered as everyone who's had one over a few years or been around Merlin the last few years will be all too familiar.

It's not always specifically MAP related - but they become, comparatively worse value every year, beyond inflation. A few years ago, I advised everyone to get one and visit and spend - now, we go, and keep our hands in our pockets to squeeze value out of a day.

Yup, that's how you leave a park feeling now - and the GP this past year seemed to agree judging by public comments and "normal" folks I attended with.

Alton Tower's is the UK's flagship park, it should be Merlin's as well, but it isn't, because they care more about how much they own, not the quality or value it offers - like it used to, and yes, it did.

 

[Natalie]

But if we take good old inflation into account the flasks are actually better value this year than last year, just saying. Should have gone up to almost £17 this season.